Newton Woman to Challenge City's Classification of Miniature Horse as 'Large Animal'
A Newton, Massachusetts, resident, Judy Hinchey, is preparing to appeal a city ruling that classifies her pet miniature horse, Clover, as a 'large animal.' This classification prevents her from keeping Clover in her backyard due to local regulations requiring large animals' manure to be stored at least 100 feet from property lines. Hinchey argues that a miniature horse should be considered a 'small animal,' which would only necessitate a 10-foot setback for manure storage. She invested $100,000 of her savings into building facilities for Clover, believing she was adhering to city guidelines, and claims other city departments initially supported her interpretation by issuing permits for the infrastructure. The dispute escalated following neighbor complaints about the smell of manure, leading to the denial of her license by Newton’s health and human services commissioner. The city's decision states that a miniature horse, being a breed of horse, falls under the 'large animal' category according to regulation...
